Adjective and Adverb Comparative Structures

Adjectives and adverbs can be used to make comparisons. The

comparative form is used to compare two people, ideas, or things. The
superlative form with the word "the" is used to compare three or more.
Comparatives and superlatives are often used in writing to hedge or
boost language.
Here are some rules and examples of how to form the comparatives and
superlatives:
General Rules for Comparatives and Superlatives
Adjective
  Comparative Superlative
or Adverb
small smaller (the) smallest
fast faster (the) fastest
One-syllable adjectives large larger (the) largest
bigger (Note the
big (the) biggest
spelling here)
(the)
more/less
thoughtful most/least
thoughtful
Most two-syllable thoughtful
adjectives (the)
useful more/less useful most/least
useful
(the)
more/less
carefully most/least
carefully
careful
Adverbs ending in -ly
(the)
slowly more/less slowly most/least
slowly
Two-syllable adjectives sleepy sleepier (the) sleepiest
ending in -y happy happier (the) happiest
Two-syllable adjectives little littler (the) littlest
 (the)
ending with –er, -le, -or, narrow narrower
narrowest
or –ow
gentle gentler (the) gentlest
(the)
more/less
intelligent most/least
intelligent
Three or more syllable intelligent
adjectives (the)
more/less
important most/least
important
important
 
Two-Syllable Adjectives That Follow Two Rules (either
form is correct)
Adjective Comparative Superlative
more/less clever (the) most/least clever
clever
cleverer (the) cleverest
more/less simple (the) most/least simple
simple
simpler (the) simplest
more/less friendly (the) most/least friendly
friendly
friendlier (the) friendliest
 
Irregular Adjectives
Adjecti Compara Superlati
ve tive ve
good better (the) best
(the)
bad worse
worst
(the)
far farther
farthest
little less (the) least
(the)
few fewer
fewest
 
To form comparative sentences, use the comparative with the word
"than." Here are some examples:
 Fewer participants volunteered for the study than I had anticipated.
 Business school was less expensive than law school.
  His application was processed more quickly than he thought.

It is also possible to use "(not) as…as" to express similarity or

differences. Here are some examples:
 Reading is as enjoyable as writing.
 The results were as conclusive as in previous studies.
 Finding participants for the study was not as easy as I thought.
 Her level of expertise was not as extensive as her employer had
hoped.
Transitions such as "and," "but," "in addition," "in contrast," "furthermore," and
"on the other hand" can also be used to show comparison.
Some Common Errors With Comparisons
Common Error 1: Using the comparative instead of the superlative
o INCORRECT: He is the happier person I know.
o REVISION: He is the happiest person I know.
 
o INCORRECT: She is the more thoughtful person I know.
o REVISION: She is the most thoughtful person I know.

 
Common Error 2: Doubling up comparisons or superlatives
o INCORRECT: His car is more faster than mine.
o REVISION: His car is faster than mine.
 
o INCORRECT: His car is the most fastest.
o REVISION: His car is the fastest.

 
Common Error 3: Using empty comparisons (part of the
comparison is missing)
o INCORRECT: The participants were more experienced.
 o REVISION: The participants were more experienced than the
previous participant pool.
 
o INCORRECT: The line moved more slowly.
o REVISION: The line moved more slowly than the line next to it.
 
Common Error 4: Using ambiguous comparisons (the comparison
has more than one possible meaning)
o INCORRECT: She likes pizza better than her husband. (Does this
mean that pizza is better than her husband?)
o REVISION: She likes pizza better than her husband does. (Now it
is clear that the comparison is who likes pizza more.)
 
o INCORRECT: Her suitcase is bigger than John. (Does this mean
that the size of the suitcase is larger than another person?)
o REVISION: Her suitcase is bigger than John’s. (Now it is clear
that the comparison is about two suitcases, not about John.)
 
Common Error 5: Missing the article “the” in the superlative
o INCORRECT: Finishing quickly was least important task.
o REVISION: Finishing quickly was the least important task.
 
o INCORRECT: The youngest girl was also littlest.
o REVISION: The youngest girl was also the littlest.

How to Make Comparisons in English Using

As… As and Not As… As
Adjectives have different forms in English. We use comparative
adjectives to compare two things or objects and we often use the word
‘than’. Superlative adjectives are used when we compare something or
someone to everything else. But what if we feel the same about two
things or people? In this case, we will use as…as to show that two
things are the same. If we want to say that two things are not the same,
we will use not as…as;
The sentence structure of as… as
Let’s picture this: you are at the mall to buy an outfit for your best
friend’s wedding. You look around the store and end up bringing three
options to the dressing room. The first option is a plain yellow dress.
The second one is a floral pink dress. The third option is a light green
dress. You try them on and call your mom to ask for an opinion.
Equative( belonging to or constituting a degree of comparison (as in Welsh) that denotes an
equal level of the quality, quantity, or relation expressed by the adjective or adverb compared )
the equative degree
an equative form

Subject + Verb + As + Adjective + As + Object

 It is as beautiful as the yellow one.
 Amanda looks as pretty as her older sister.
 His shoes were as expensive as his new computer.
 The new teacher is as good as the previous one.

Non-equative
Subject + Verb + Not + As + Adjective + As + Object
 The floral one is not as beautiful as the yellow one.
 They are not as shy as their friends.
 My grandpa is not as old as my grandma.
 The house is not as expensive as the apartment.

Let’s take a look at some more sentence structure examples:

 Julia got an A in her Math test. Adam also got an A in the same
test. Therefore, we can say that Julia is as intelligent as Adam.
 Harry is 160 cm. Peter is 175cm. Therefore, we can say that Harry
is not as tall as Peter.
The difference between like and as
We have talked a lot about how to compare people and things, but how
do you compare actions? 
You can use either as or like to compare actions.  
Using like
Let’s take a look at some examples of comparisons using ‘like’.
Remember that we are comparing action verbs, which means we are
comparing how one person’s action is like another person’s action.
Peter speaks English like a native speaker. 
Explanation: in this sentence, we use ‘like’ to compare Peter and a
native speaker of English. Since we used the verb ‘speak’, I am
comparing their abilities to communicate in a certain language. The use
of the preposition ‘like’ indicates that I think they (Peter and a native
speaker) communicate in a similar way. 
Mary cooks like a professional chef. 
Explanation: in this sentence, we use ‘like’ to compare Mary and a
professional chef. Since we used the verb ‘cook’, I am comparing their
abilities to prepare food. The use of the preposition ‘like’ indicates that I
think they (Mary and a professional chef) can prepare food in a similar
way. 
Using like to compare sensory experiences
We also use ‘like’ to compare sensory experiences, using verbs such as
‘to smell’, ‘to taste’, ‘to look’, ‘to sound’, and ‘to hear’. Watch the video
below for examples.
As … as: functioning as an adverb, the ‘as’ is describing the adverb
(of the verb) 
Amanda drives as carefully as her brother (does).
Explanation: in this sentence, we use ‘as’ to compare the way Amanda
drives to the way her brother drives. This means we are comparing their
actions. The adverb here is ‘carefully’.
Meredith works as quickly as her boss (does).
Explanation: in this sentence, we use ‘as’ to compare the way Meredith
works to the way her boss works. We are comparing their actions. The
adverb here is ‘quickly’.
Using as to describe a position
We also use ‘as’ to describe a position. Here are some examples:
 I work as a waiter.
 Beth would love to work as a teacher in the future. 
 When I grow up, I want to work as a firefighter. 
 As your boss, I would rather if you did what I’m telling you to do.